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[NotASpecialSnowflake]

What's everyone doing tonight that's kicking off their studying?

I'm going to read the 5 free chapters of the LSAT Trainer and take an RC section at minimum.

Going onto LSATQA and finding the areas I need to improve based off of all my PT's.

Then reviewing my LSAT and correcting my mistakes.

How much are you guys expecting to improve on the December LSAT? I want a 3 point jump from my PT average

[snagglepuss]

What's everyone doing tonight that's kicking off their studying?

I'm going to read the 5 free chapters of the LSAT Trainer and take an RC section at minimum.

Going onto LSATQA and finding the areas I need to improve based off of all my PT's.

Then reviewing my LSAT and correcting my mistakes.

How much are you guys expecting to improve on the December LSAT? I want a 3 point jump from my PT average

So you're one of dem people who is going to review PT70 now instead of saving it for a retake?

[dosto]

.

[koalacity]

can anyone attest to lsat trainer book? i just ordered mine and was wondering if it could help me improve on LR and RC

IT'S AMAZING!! I credit this book for my 180. I was having a slight rough patch in LR and RC three weeks before the test, and I bought this book with only two weeks to go. It revolutionized my approach, and I have no doubt that I would not have done as well as I did without it.

were you doing well w/ LG before using the trainer? if not, did it help you?

at this point, my entire gameplan is to GET OVER my lg hangups.

Bee, I meant to post this yesterday, but got distracted (and by distracted, I mean intoxicated)-sorry!

Not that I consider myself truly qualified to give advice on LG (given that October was only my second test with -0 LG, but I also only took 11 PTs total), but I went from -6/-8 ish on LG in mid-September to consistently -1/-2 by the end of September, and I want to help if I can!

By late August/early September, I'd already worked through Manhattan LG and part of PS LG. However, things really weren't clicking for me. I signed up for Velocity LG on the advice of TLS-ers, and at first I wasn't seeing any gains-if anything, I did worse for about a week as I adjusted to the new methods. My SO strongly recommended incorporating the 7Sage LG videos, because that's what made him go from -2ish LG to consistent -0. I was quite skeptical because:
A) The 7Sage and Velocity approaches are quite different-7Sage is heavy on inference-making and doing lots of work up front before jumping into the questions, and Velocity is largely a "set up and proceed immediately to the questions-do not pass go, do not collect $200..." approach. Thus, I didn't think that they'd be very complementary.
B) I generally learn best by reading things, not by watching a video. For me, processing written information is easier than processing spoken and visual information for whatever reason. As a result, I didn't expect that watching videos would be particularly helpful for me.

I WAS SO WRONG. Incorporating 7Sage videos into my LG studies was the push I needed to get over the edge. I would absolutely still recommend Velocity (in particular, his basic linear setups, recommended order for answering questions, and emphasis on utilizing prior work were critically important), but I really believe that if I hadn't also incorporated 7Sage, I would be looking at a high 160's score/maaaybe very low 170's, if I was lucky.

Also, I don't know if you use BR at all, but I found it helpful to show me just how much of my LG struggles were due to timing issues vs. truly not understanding the material.

[NotASpecialSnowflake]

I strongly suggest saving PT70 for one of your last PTs before December, but to each their own.

Didn't think about this. I might hold off on it then because that seems valuable.

I read this article (http://lawschooli.com/should-i-retake-the-lsat) about retaking and I'm kind of freaking out. I wasn't sick and I didn't get into an accident (although I missed a couple exits getting there), and my score was exactly a 163, same as the article. I was PTing at 167+ and i was consistently getting 168s a month before, but in the last month my scores dropped to the 166s and 163s. I have a 3.94 UG GPA and I would like to go T-14. I'm looking to get around a 168-172 on the Dec LSAT.

What are your guys thoughts on retaking? On here it says some schools in the T-14 take your highest LSAT, but my adviser says they average.

[tofuspeedstar]

I strongly suggest saving PT70 for one of your last PTs before December, but to each their own.

Didn't think about this. I might hold off on it then because that seems valuable.

I read this article (http://lawschooli.com/should-i-retake-the-lsat) about retaking and I'm kind of freaking out. I wasn't sick and I didn't get into an accident (although I missed a couple exits getting there), and my score was exactly a 163, same as the article. I was PTing at 167+ and i was consistently getting 168s a month before, but in the last month my scores dropped to the 166s and 163s. I have a 3.94 UG GPA and I would like to go T-14. I'm looking to get around a 168-172 on the Dec LSAT.

What are your guys thoughts on retaking? On here it says some schools in the T-14 take your highest LSAT, but my adviser says they average.

I jumped over 10 pts on the October exam from my June '12 shit show. Just put in the work. If you feel your scores slip take a day off and come back. Usually slipping scores indicate impending burnout.

[Otunga]

Ordered the LSAT Trainer. Looking for a fresh perspective on LR as well as RC. While my RC was solid going in - -2 to -5 on fresh takes (-5 in Oct), I also feel I could use a fresh perspective there. I'm considering doing a LG section just to shake some rust off before the Trainer arrives.

I would totally take a score in my avg PT range (171-173). Basically I'm retaking for a chance at HYS and more $$$ from the lower t14.

[snagglepuss]

I strongly suggest saving PT70 for one of your last PTs before December, but to each their own.

Didn't think about this. I might hold off on it then because that seems valuable.

I read this article (http://lawschooli.com/should-i-retake-the-lsat) about retaking and I'm kind of freaking out. I wasn't sick and I didn't get into an accident (although I missed a couple exits getting there), and my score was exactly a 163, same as the article. I was PTing at 167+ and i was consistently getting 168s a month before, but in the last month my scores dropped to the 166s and 163s. I have a 3.94 UG GPA and I would like to go T-14. I'm looking to get around a 168-172 on the Dec LSAT.

What are your guys thoughts on retaking? On here it says some schools in the T-14 take your highest LSAT, but my adviser says they average.

are you still in undergrad/fresh out? The new message in this echo chamber is that you got to get your PT average 5+ points over your target score meaning you shouldn't retake until you're consistently hitting 173-175+. What I'm suggesting is you take a year off, study your ass off, and get HYS numbers b/c you have the GPA.

[NotASpecialSnowflake]

are you still in undergrad/fresh out

Yeah I'm still in undergraduate, but my parents would honor kill me if I took a year off. I talked to them about doing that and they freaked out and said it would ruin my life and law school chances. I know it isn't true, but its their house and their money going to my undergraduate education.

[koalacity]

are you still in undergrad/fresh out

Yeah I'm still in undergraduate, but my parents would honor kill me if I took a year off. I talked to them about doing that and they freaked out and said it would ruin my life and law school chances. I know it isn't true, but its their house and their money going to my undergraduate education.

There is considerable evidence that T14 schools prefer non-K-JDs. Just look at the school profiles on TLS and you'll find a number of quotes from deans referencing an explicit preference for applicants who have been out of UG for a year or two (or more). Would your parents reconsider in light of evidence that taking time off would help, not hurt, your chances of getting into top schools?

[PrizeFighter]

What's everyone doing tonight that's kicking off their studying?

I'm going to read the 5 free chapters of the LSAT Trainer and take an RC section at minimum.

Tonight I'm going to try to create a weekly work/study schedule for the next month. I (arrogantly) had no plans to retake, so I have to figure out where to go from here.

[Louey12]

Hey guys - anyone know of an LSAT study group in NYC? I'd love to join.

[snagglepuss]

are you still in undergrad/fresh out

Yeah I'm still in undergraduate, but my parents would honor kill me if I took a year off. I talked to them about doing that and they freaked out and said it would ruin my life and law school chances. I know it isn't true, but its their house and their money going to my undergraduate education.

I hear this response to the year off suggestion often on this site. To me, such a response seems indicative of an under-developed or even unhealthy communication flow between parents and offspring (and vice versa). Sit your parents down, thank them for their support during undergrad, and then explain how a year off is your best option and that a "lost year" is insignificant in the scheme of your long-term career.
I've yet to hear any early 20's person express regret over taking a year to improve school options (which can drastically increase career options), get work experience, make money, and travel. Just food for thought; you do what's best by you.

[PrizeFighter]

Then reviewing my LSAT and correcting my mistakes.

I strongly suggest saving PT70 for one of your last PTs before December, but to each their own.

I would normally agree with you, but it depends on how you need to improve. In my case, I went from missing 1 to 4 on both LR sections to missing 11 on the real thing. This leads me to believe that it is not the material itself but the adrenaline rush that screwed me over, so I plan to check the problems I missed to see if they were hard or if I just rushed through them and made careless errors.

Analyzing the mistakes made under actual exam conditions could provide insight that will better inform this month's plan of attack.

[062914123]

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[Otunga]

Are we essentially all resigned to applying in January at this point? I really wanted to take advantage of applying early but I know an extra couple points is more important.

[PrizeFighter]

are you still in undergrad/fresh out

Yeah I'm still in undergraduate, but my parents would honor kill me if I took a year off. I talked to them about doing that and they freaked out and said it would ruin my life and law school chances. I know it isn't true, but its their house and their money going to my undergraduate education.

I hear this response to the year off suggestion often on this site. To me, such a response seems indicative of an under-developed or even unhealthy communication flow between parents and offspring (and vice versa). I sat my parents down, thanked them for their support during undergrad, and then explained how a year off was the only option for me when I scored a 167 last fall because a "lost year" was insignificant in the scheme of what taking that year meant for my long-term career.
I've yet to hear any early 20's person express regret over taking a year to improve school options (which can drastically increase career options), get work experience, make money, and travel. Just food for thought; you do what's best by you.

It seems like you know taking time off could be a good idea, but your parents don't see it that way. Perhaps finding some of the quotes by deans who say time between UG and LS is a good thing could sway your parents, especially if you have some kind of constructive activity in mind to occupy you between now and then (volunteer etc.). I think a lot of parents fear that a year off will turn into a derailment of law school plans, but a well thought out plan for a year off could assuage those fears.

[Nonconsecutive]

i don't have my new materials yet

Did you already mention what materials you are getting?

I'm just trying to see what everyone is using, so I can figure it out for myself.

[PrizeFighter]

Are we essentially all resigned to applying in January at this point? I really wanted to take advantage of applying early but I know an extra couple points is more important.

I am wondering about this as well. I know you can let schools know that you have another score coming, but is applying and sending in another score later basically the same as applying when said score comes out? I assume that, if they know another score is coming, they'd just wait to go through your file till it comes in anyway. Thoughts?

[Otunga]

Are we essentially all resigned to applying in January at this point? I really wanted to take advantage of applying early but I know an extra couple points is more important.

I am wondering about this as well. I know you can let schools know that you have another score coming, but is applying and sending in another score later basically the same as applying when said score comes out? I assume that, if they know another score is coming, they'd just wait to go through your file till it comes in anyway. Thoughts?

Well, I've seen some others post in the admissions forum, I think, that schools know for sure you're retaking without you having to tell them due to seeing your LSAC profile. So your application is in but it's incomplete due to the retake. In other words, they don't consider your application until your retake score comes in. I believe this poster said it's basically all the t14 that do this.

[062914123]

.

[Nonconsecutive]

Are we essentially all resigned to applying in January at this point? I really wanted to take advantage of applying early but I know an extra couple points is more important.

I am wondering about this as well. I know you can let schools know that you have another score coming, but is applying and sending in another score later basically the same as applying when said score comes out? I assume that, if they know another score is coming, they'd just wait to go through your file till it comes in anyway. Thoughts?

I am currently in the process of trying to figure this out. But some posts here on TLS as well as a post by Ann Levine on her blog seem to suggest that your pending score will delay a decision on your app.

[dosto]

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[Nonconsecutive]

i'm basically concentrating all my efforts on LG, so i'm going to get the velocity LG course and maybe flip through the trainer. i'm happy with my rc/lr approach at this point though, and i don't want to make any seismic shifts in my strategy in those 2 sections.

Thanks for the input, I highly recommend Velocity LG. Also, I envy your RC ability.

[snagglepuss]

Are we essentially all resigned to applying in January at this point? I really wanted to take advantage of applying early but I know an extra couple points is more important.

I am wondering about this as well. I know you can let schools know that you have another score coming, but is applying and sending in another score later basically the same as applying when said score comes out? I assume that, if they know another score is coming, they'd just wait to go through your file till it comes in anyway. Thoughts?

I am going to submit my apps probably around Thanksgiving b/c they'll go complete early and then review can begin as soon as they get my score. I just don't see a downside to this approach. Whereas submitting post-score opens the door to procrastination and at minimum adds the time it takes for your app to go from submitted to complete.